Struggles
by A Raven on a Writing Desk
Summary: Dirk gets everything he wants. Bro won't say why, and he's got all of Dave's friends to promise not to tell him. Bro refuses to say where Dirk goes for two hours each Friday. Dave grows up in a world with shadows, but he's lucky that he has a lantern.


A loud thumping awoke a slumbering boy in the night. The creaking wood caused him to prop himself up, groping about his bedside table to find his gleaming aviators. After knocking his alarm clock off the shelf, the eight-year-old found the shades and prompt slipped them over smooth caucasian skin. For crying out loud, he was so pale he could see his skin in the near-dark room, lit only by the lampposts along the sidewalk far below the towering apartment building.

The light from the narrow hallway gave his elder brother a menacing silhouette. A giant among men, he loomed over our young hero's bed before crouching to eye-level.

"Dave, wake the hell up before Bro starts," a heavy hand shook the young sibling from any remaining dreams. It was pushed away by chubby palms before it clamped down on his shoulder like a vice. "Come on man, you need to help me. I need to get something done, and I really need your help."

Dave blinked slowly before nodding mutely. He slipped on his puffy bunny slippers before slipping a small hand into his brother's baseball mitt sized hand, and trod down the hall. He dragged his feet as his brother led him to the kitchen doorway, turning off the lights in a brief, terrifying moment of darkness before flicking them on in the small kitchen.

The pink slippers looked funny against the dark slate tiles, but that wasn't what Dave focused on the moment he entered the kitchen. It was the toaster, typically in one piece, strewn about the kitchen, with the oven pushed about two feet away from its usual position. The great monster of an appliance seemed to be propped up by one of his older brother's many faulty car jacks. If Dave looked closely, he might think that it was trembling under the weight of the goliath stainless steel beast.

Dave looked up expectantly. Dirk glanced down, before sighing softly. "I thought if I added something into the toaster, it would be just fine. But one of the switches got swept off the counter, and it rolled under the oven. I've been trying to get it back for the past hour, but my arm's are just too thick.

"And if I try and push up the jack any farther, then it'll make an awful screeching sound, one that would raise the dead and send 'em right to your place for a party, and then we'd-"

Dave waved his spare hand to cut off his brother, sensing a nonsensical rant. He looked deep into the abyss of under the oven. Swirling shadows turned to tentacles before his very childish eyes. Not even the shades could block out the demons glowing eyes as they peered at him. If Dave looked carefully enough, he would have sworn he saw a glint of iron claws, itching to rake out his eyes.

"Nuh-uh," Dave shook his head back and forth. Dirk raised a bushy eyebrow, just peeking behind his wicked-awesome anime shades. Yeah, because all those kids at school had no idea what they were talking about.

"What do you mean, 'nuh-uh'?" Dirk looked down with a scowl. His diminutive brother looked back up at him and repeated the action his head just made, this time with the added crossing of arms.

"It's scary under there," Dave's eyes flitted over to the chest of horrors that was the oven's underworld. Dirk huffed before walking over to where the widest part of the opening was. He bent down to the ground, wincing as he felt his long legs cramp underneath him. Taking off his shades, he scanned the underneath before getting back up.

He walked back to Dave and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's not too bad. Here, I'll be right by your side. Promise."

Dave leaned into the hand, no longer a comfort but now a wall to press into. A wall that prevented him form running back into the comfy realms of his blankets, where he could revisit the world of dreams.

Dirk groaned softly as he pushed his younger brother along, before tugging him to the floor. Dave whimpered as he huddled into a ball in front of the menacing Demon World. His eyes widened as he saw a flicker of some reptilian tail.

"Dirk, I don't want to do this," Dave looked for reassurance in his elder brother's amber eyes. They glared back harshly. Anger was rising in them, one that Dave couldn't explain. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

Dave watched his brother's arm flinch up, as though to grab something, before slamming back into the tiles. Dave squeaked before ducking his hand under the oven.

Dave squealed as his hand brushed against the belly of a monster, and he felt rubbery tentacles brush his arm. He pretended not to notice the claws scraping his sensitive skin. He shivered as teeth dragged themselves across his milky white hands as they grasped a little knob. Beside him, Dirk jumped.

"Yes! Yes that! Get it Dave!" His voice was rising, despite him not wanting to disturb Bro. Dave found it all a bit strange for him.

He pushed the switch into Dirk's outstretched hand. Dirk grinned wildly before pulling Dave into a stiffing embrace.

All dave could see was his brother's black muscle shirt, and he could only smell sweat and grease. The heat was overwhelming, but as much as he tried to get away, Dirk wouldn't let go. The pressure was overwhelming. He needed out! Someone, let him out!

His tiny slippered feet rose off the ground to a frightening height. He wasn't used to this! He wanted to get down, and he made certain Dirk knew by his whining and kicking his feet into his brother's gut. He was disturbed when Dirk seemed to ignore him completely.

And it got worse! Oh, plunged into the darkness of the night, he dove into the crook of his brother's neck. His eyes were squinted shut, hoping that the demons would leave him alone in this unfamiliar land.

Luckily, a dim light arrived on the horizon. No, not horizon, window! He felt himself lower into the softness that could only be that fluffy horse quilt on his bed! Dave sighed as his shades were pulled off his face. They were set beside him on his shelf, and he could just make out his brother whisper out, "Sleep, bro," before leaving to the kitchen.


End file.
